Cookie- I totally agree that diet does affect your complexion. Milk and fried foods are the main culprits for me. They also produce different types of pimples. I try to avoid those as best as possible but any time I have more than I should my face will break out. There are other things that will break my face out but those two are pure evil!

I have used Proactiv for about a year and really like it. I still do get an occasional blemish, but they are more the type near the surface of the skin that only stay for a day or two, as opposed to the type that can wreck your whole week. The only downside I found to Proactiv was that it turned my khaki Tommy Hilfiger pillowsheets orange from some ingredient contained in the face scrub. It does have a fine-print warning on the box that it may bleach some fabrics, but it was still a bummer. I purchase most of my Proactiv products on ebay. They are much cheaper there than buying them directly from Proactiv. Obviously, prices vary on ebay, but I usually pay about eight dollars, plus shipping, for an individual bottle and around 35-40 dollars for the three-piece kit, which includes the mask.

I got a breakout with every period, but I don't think that is the same as acne. I get breakouts still if I eat improperly. I think what you have sounds like a bacterial infection. You want to be very careful of anything in and around the nose because of the proximity to the brain. I would treat it very gently and put a dab of neosporin on it if it should open at all

Glenda, I'm a 33 year old female who started having acne at about age 12. I had all kinds of acne, cystic acne, pustules...it was so hard on my self esteem, and not just through high school. I saw at least three different dermatologists (on top of my primary physicians) before I found one who prescribed me accutane at age 31. I had tried various types of topical meds, oral antibiotics, different oral contraceptives...I took one 6-month cycle of accutane and my acne cleared up virtually completely. My skin was incredibly dry and sensitive and remained so for several months after I stopped the medication. I was sensitive to sunlight (use lots of sunscreen) and noticed that my skin took longer to heal from damage (little scratches from my kitty would take a week or more to heal, rather than a day or two). I did not experience any of the other negative side effects, but I will tell you that I honestly would have suffered through some of them to be rid of my acne. My younger sister also took one 6-month cycle of accutane as a teenager and it worked just as well for her as it did for me. As far as I know, she didn't experience any negative effects other than the dryness. My son, who is almost 15, is now on accutane. The change for him has been practically night and day. He had a lot of pustules and blackheads, new ones every morning when he woke up. His acne also started at about age 12. He didn't complain about his acne, but I can tell that accutane is important to him because he takes it on time, every single day, and is on top of me to get his prescription filled ASAP. So far, he is not having any problems with the meds. He is now on his fourth month and I expect him to finish out a full six-month cycle. The only issue he's had is sun exposure, since he was taking it over the summer and spent much of his time outdoors in boy scouts. I have to be on him constantly about sunscreen. Accutane is serious business. It should not be used until other avenues have been exhausted. This means *at least* six months of other topical and/or oral meds. You don't have to see a dermatologist to treat acne, but it is a good idea to get a referral if you can. Primary physicians can be hesitant to prescribe accutane because of its teratogenic effects and other serious side effects. Your physician should have labs drawn when accutane is started and occasionally throughout treatment because accutane can cause liver damage (this is why accutane is taken in cycles, to allow the accumulated metabolites to be eliminated before toxic levels are reached). Females have to have blood drawn every month (plus the month before treatment starts) to ensure they are not pregnant before they receive their refills. I respectfully disagree with the comment that acne will eventually go away. I was experiencing the same acne at age 30 that I was at 13. I did not make the decision to start my son on accutane lightly, but I would not forgive myself if I didn't do what I could to help him with his acne, knowing how much it affected my own self-esteem well into adulthood. The other major consideration that I haven't seen mentioned yet is cost. Obviously, costs will vary, but this is what I see on my bill: Dermatologist exam once per month - $120 Labs - $90 Amnesteem (40mg/day dose x 30 days)~ $300 (when Accutane was the only brand on the market, it was over $600/month!). Part of the reason that I chose to go forward with the accutane treatment for my son is because my insurance covers the majority of the expense, so in my mind, there really was no excuse for not giving it a try. I'm sorry this is long, but having been affected by acne for over half my life, I do feel strongly about the potential benefit of accutane. I know that many people have experienced negative effects from the medicine, so you should be an informed consumer and be aware of the possible effects before the medication is started. And you should not expect "miracle" results. My son will probably end up taking at least one more 6-month cycle, and I know some people take more than that. Send me an e-mail me if you want to talk more about this. Sydney